Battle over North East Ohio Girl Scout camp closures comes to a head today

View full sizeThomas Ondrey, The Plain DealerGirl Scouts Isabel Park, left, and Lillie Trammel, both 11, of Troop 71289, start a campfire under the guidance of Troop Co-Leader Alisha Trammel, right, while camping overnight in front of the Northeast Ohio Girl Scout headquarters Friday in Macedonia, trying to save their area campgrounds.

MACEDONIA, Ohio -- The showdown is today between Girl Scout officials and a band of Scouting volunteers who oppose the board's decision to close fourNortheast Ohio campgrounds.

At an 8 a.m. emergency meeting of the Girl Scouts' 99-member general assembly, opponents of the closings will try to head off the pending camp sales by proposing that no real estate transactions can take place without approval from the general assembly. Currently, decisions about property sales are made by the 19-member Girl Scout board.

It's even possible that some board members could be ousted during today's meeting, if they disagree with efforts to put real estate decisions in the hands of the general assembly.

Girl Scouts spokeswoman Rebecca Shaffer predicted the vote totals will be close. Board members are part of the general assembly, and each has a vote.

Shaffer said board members believed they were acting in the best interest of the 18-county Girl Scout council when they voted in March to close five of seven camps. Proceeds from the camp sales were to fund needed upgrades and enhance amenities at the remaining two, Ledgewood in Summit and Timberlane in Erie County.

The board "made a decision based on facts, and they are doing what they feel is best for the organization, not just today but in the long run. We're celebrating 100 years, but we sure want to be around here for another 100. We have to be responsible with our resources," Shaffer said.

Last week, Girl Scout officials announced they will keep one of the five properties in question, Camp Sugarbush in Trumbull County. That leaves four to be sold: Great Trail in Carroll County, Crowell/Hilaka in Summit County, Pleasant Valley in Seneca County and Lejnar in Lake County.

Pro-camp activists hailed the Sugarbush news as a step toward victory, and on Friday night, they planned to arrive with tents and sleeping bags at the Girl Scouts' Macedonia offices, ready to stay the night to show their passion for camping.

For them, today's meeting is a milestone, the fruit of their summer-long campaign to contact members of the general assembly and explain their perspective. In September, the group succeeded in getting the 51 signatures of general assembly members necessary to forcean emergency meeting.

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The grass-roots group of disgruntled Girl Scout volunteers, which maintains a website at trefoilintegrity.org, questions the Girl Scout board's data on camp use and has called for a new and transparent evaluation.

Last week, complaints surfaced from a new source. A descendant of the Renkert family, which donated the land for Great Trail Camp, sent a letter of protest to the Girl Scout board.

"To close or sell the Renkert Ranch is absolutely counter to the intent of our family's gifts," wrote Guy Renkert, president of Ironrock Capital Inc. in Canton. "We trusted that [Girl Scouts of North East Ohio] would act in good faith and would preserve this special place for generations to come," Renkert wrote.

His letter urged the board to keep the camp open, stating future support for the Girl Scouts "by my family, our company and countless others in our community will hinge upon your actions."

Renkert said Friday that he sent a copy of his letter to the Timkens and other philanthropic families in the Canton area.

Shaffer said Girl Scouts officials plan to meet with Renkert. "We don't want to burn bridges with anybody," she said.

She said the Renkert gift included no restrictions on how the land was to be used, but she added that "we take our donor intent very seriously on all gifts."

On this morning's agenda are several resolutions, including one calling for an immediate halt to camp sales until the board's plan can be more fully evaluated.

Delegates also will vote on a measure banning the sale of any Girl Scout-owned property unless it's approved by a two-thirds majority of the general assembly.

Opponents of the camp closings also may put forth an amendment giving the general assembly the right to remove or replace any board member who objects to the majority vote.

"We want to work with the board, but we want to remind the board that they work for us, not the other way around," said activist Corey Ann Ringle, a volunteer who leads camp outings. "A board that is unwilling to listen to the girl members, volunteers and donors is detrimental."

Shaffer said the camp supporters are entitled to object to the sale, and she added that the grass-roots protest has its origins in ideals promoted by Girl Scouts -- to inspire leadership and encourage girls to speak their minds.

"They're following the rules, we're following the rules. We'll see what happens Saturday," she said.

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